city. Although he seems affectionate, overly sweet, and hospitable at first, in time, this sweetness creates weariness and boredom in others. In the sugar-colored, sticky, and dreamy romantic world he built with his wife, Manilova, he takes pride in having given their children classical names like Themistoclius and Alcides. One can hardly say he cares about his farm, his peasants, or household management; he spends his time smoking a pipe, looking at the pages of unread books, and dreaming of impossible bridges and high castles. He becomes so captivated by Chichikov's friendship that he finds it an insult to take money from him, happily handing over the dead souls for free and experiencing a transcendent spiritual satisfaction in his own way.
